I am burning from within MEP.

I suspect that the AV output signal from my xfinity dvr may contain HDCP but I am not sure. My Toshiba records its DVDs from this AV output and those DVDs, once finalized, play fine on computers and all stand alone DVD players. But when these DVDs are imported into MEP for editing and burning again, the burn process seems to work fine as usual, but then the DVD that MEP created will only play on the Toshiba or the computers but other standalone players wont play it, as I said earlier. So MEP must somehow alter the imported DVD in the burn process, making it unplayable on standalone players. Puzzling and frustrating!

@k9vet

Hi

. . . . So MEP must somehow alter the imported DVD in the burn process, making it unplayable on standalone players . . . .

The only changes MEP does not make any changes to imported files - it is a non-destructive video editor.

A MEP project does not contain any video, images or audio files, it contains references to the files used where they are located on your comp, where they are on the timeline and all the editing you have done on the timeline.

The only time any conversion occurs is when you export or create a disc the finished project, the source files are still untouched only the new files created contain the edited version you see on the timeline.

If the discs plays on one player but not another the issue is usually due to disc incompatibility.

What disc make, model and type are you using to burn to from MEP and the Toshiba is recording on?

John EB

Thanks for your reply, John. I burned another copy of the DVD onto a different brand of blank disc and the resulting DVD still will play on computer but not on stand alone players. The mystery continues... I continue to be stumped.

Probably just some kind of weird file structure glitch, I guess.

@k9vet

Hi

Can you tell us the steps your are taking to burn the disc starting from the completed editing on the timeline.

John EB

When editing is done I switch to the burn module, which creates the usual title page with the round burn button on the right. I click that and the burning window opens. I select the DVD (2 star) button burn quality option and the next burn window opens where I make sure there is a little free space on the blue bar by adjusting encoder settings/bit rate and then click the burn button. Then mixing down starts and the burn completes. I have been burning discs with various versions of MEP for YEARS, usually with no problems at all. Again I must emphasize the fact that the original DVD that was burned on the Toshiba using the AV output from my Comcast DVR as the input signal WILL play on any and all players BUT when that Toshiba DVD is imported into MEP for returning, the reburned disc is the one that stand alone players wont play, but computers WILL play normally. So bizarre... BTW the same thing happened when I used MEP 2018 instead of MEP 2020.

Not to be disloyal to Magix, but maybe I will try a different burn program and see if the same thing happens.

@k9vet

. . . . Not to be disloyal to Magix, but maybe I will try a different burn program . . . .

Many users do not use the disc menu and burn routines in MEP.

Try using the Image recorder option, to create an ISO image of the project, instead of burning direct to disc and then use ImgBurn or other 3rd party burning software you have to burn the ISO file to disc.

We still need to know what disc make, model and type, eg DVD-R, DVD+R etc are you using to burn to from MEP, and the disk type Toshiba is recording on

John EB

Although I have never gone to the ISO route, I will try it and see what happens! This will be a learning experience for me after many years. Thanks.

Tell me where to find the image recorder option. I cant find it. And where is Imgburn? I dont see these things in the MEP pdf either...

@k9vet

The option to use Image Recorder is on the dropdown at the top of the DVD Burning screen. See the screenshot below:

ImgBurn is a free burning app. See here.

HTH

Jeff

I am now going to use image recorder to create the iso file. I will let u know what happens when I use Imgburn.

I assume that when I use the image recorder I should click on the "encode all" button, correct?

@k9vet

Hi

Apologies for not providing a link to Imgburn, thanks @emmrecs

. . . . I should click on the "encode all" button, correct? . . . .

Yes, and check the two Rewrite check box options in the same dialog.

John EB

The latest: I created an iso file with MEP image burner and saved it to my HD. Downloaded Imgburn and burned a DVD of the iso. DIDNT WORK. DISC STILL WONT PLAY on stand-alone players.

BUT SOME BETTER NEWS: I used my Wondershare Uniconverter program to burn that same iso to DVD and...that DVD PLAYS ON ALL THE PLAYERS WITH ONE PROBLEM: The chapter marks that I had in the MEP edited file DO NOT WORK/DONT SHOW UP. Disappointing.

I dont know if the chapter marks get burned or included when MEP made the iso file or not. So we are up to the final step- HOW DO I ADD OR RETAIN THE CHAPTER MARKS?

I am emailing Wondershare to see if they can tell me how to add chapter marks but do YOU have any ideas about my chapter marks issue?

So, after all this, I have to conclude that the burn module in MEP DOES burn DVDs differently than Wondershare does. I dont know why, do you?

I appreciate your interest and suggestions so far!

@k9vet

Hi

The chapter markers are written into the ISO file which a complete disc image.

In MEP, open the disc menu edit option, yellow arrow in image below, and expand the disc navigation and check the chapters are enable - red arrow.

If they are then:

Open Windows Explorer and right click the ISO file and select the Mount - you will see a new disc drive appear.

Play the mounted disc with a player that supports Chapters eg VLC and check if the chapters are there.

HTH

John EB

I dont see a Mount option when I right click on the iso file, which I moved onto my desktop. I am on Windows 7

@k9vet

Hi

What do you get when you double click the iso file - one of 2 things should happen:

- you will be asked which program you want top open it with - select Windows Explorer and it should mount as another drive - see image below

or
 

- it will mount as another drive in the example below drive D:

If it mounts then you can play the disc with VLC or any other disc player software - do not double click any of the files in the video_ts folder they will not play as a DVD player would ie no menu or chapters.

To unmount the disc right click the drive it creates and select Eject.

If the ISO still fails to mount then you need a virtual DVD/BD drive emulator program - such as MagicDisc or gBurner.

. . . . which I moved onto my desktop . . . .

It is not wise to store files on the desktop, if anything goes wrong with a Windows update or the desktop gets reset you may lose your files, correct location is inside your documents folder which is a protected folder.

John EB

Here is what I know now. VLC player will play the iso file and at the beginning (title page) if I click on the black arrow to see the chapter pix, they are there and if I click on any of them VLC will immediately start playing that chapter. BUT if VLC is in the process of playing the file and I click "next" (chapter) VLC jumps back to the start of the movie and does not advance to the next chapter and play stops.

Any ideas?

@k9vet

Hi

VLC does play chapters from you description

. . . . if VLC is in the process of playing the file and I click "next" (chapter) VLC jumps back to the start of the movie . . . .

You are clicking the Next (playlist) button, arrowed in blue in the image below, the next/previous chapter buttons are those arrowed in red.

and they do work with disc chapters created with MEP.

HTH

John EB

I am still going to try various things to burn a DVD with chapters that my players will play. I dont understand why computers handle DVD play differently than computers. If I am successful, I will let you know the solution I discover. Either the players are looking for something on the discs that isnt there, or there is something on the disc that shouldn't be on there. Crazy...

SUCCESS! I exported my movie to my HD using MEP as mp4. I then burned the mp4 to DVD using trial version of Wondershare DVD Creator and it plays on standalone players, chapters and all.

So after several days and several wasted discs, I found a way to do this.

Thanks for your interest in helping me.

Hi,

I want to export an edited MEP2020 movie as shown in the choices under the FILE pulldown so that I can burn it with external software. To get the best video quality burn result should I choose "export as MPEG (mpg)" or "export as MPEG4 (mp4)"?

@k9vet

Hi

. . . . To get the best video quality burn result . . . .

Personally I would choose MPG, this the what a VOB is in reality, in the hope that it does not get re-encoded by DVD Creator.

Choosing MP4 means it is going to be re-encoded.

If you export at a higher resolution higher then the DVD specification of 720x 576 (PAL) or 720 x 480 (NTSC) there is little or no improvement in the quality and the video is going to be re-encoded when you burn the disc.

HTH

John EB